Travellers should still be silent.
When you reach this page, place both fists on the table in front of you.
When all travellers have their fists on the table, you may speak again.
Continue below, with the Reader reading once more.
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————Clockwise starting with the Reader, each traveller takes it in turns to open their individualised text box below and read the whole contents aloud. Do not open your text box until it is your turn to read.
Take care to listen to your fellow travellers’ rules. They’re important!
-
Through the beat of the Wood’s heart, we hear a childish laugh. Above us float three figures shrouded in green fire and shadow: one hooded, one feminine and one masculine. Their identity is unclear; somehow, their shapes seem to give both the impression of children and of adults wearing strange masks.The feminine figure laughs, her voice both deep and childish. “Oh! Just in time. Daddy’s about to make His claim.”
The masculine figure points down at us. “Ergh. They’ve got that boring assassin with them. Let’s mess up his plans.”
The hooded figure shakes its head sadly. “Time… to choose…”
[If the traveller carrying the Assassin Bargain murders another traveller and also escapes, the Triplets reverse that outcome; the murdered traveller survives, while the traveller carrying the Assassin’s Bargain perishes.
*If I also converted the Bargain of the Sovereign, Moon, Assassin or Mystic in the previous section, that Bargain no longer has any effect.*]
When all travellers have read their parts aloud, take a moment to ensure that everyone understands the new rules at play.
Then scroll down together once again.
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————⇐ 📖
It is time for the Lord of the Wood to choose His sacrifice.
The Reader performs the following actions:
Take the Character Card from every living traveller.
Shuffle all Character Cards together, face-down.
Deal a single card face-up onto the table.
The traveller who owns this Character Card is now Marked for Death by the Lord of the Wood.
Evading death. If the Marked traveller carries the Blessing of a spirit, they may claim its protection by saying: “The [spirit] speaks for me.” For example, if the Marked traveller holds the Blessing of the Helpless, they may say: “The Helpless speaks for me.” The traveller then discards the Blessing of the Helpless and is no longer Marked for Death. The Reader then repeats steps 1, 2 and 3.
Repeat this process until one traveller is Marked for Death and cannot evade their fate.
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————The traveller who is Marked for Death becomes the Wood’s victim.
The victim may describe their death at the hands of the Lord of the Wood — how it appears to them, and how it appears to the other travellers.
CURSES
If the party bears one Curse, go back and repeat steps 1, 2, 3 until two victims are claimed.
If the party bears two Curses, continue with this process until three victims are claimed.
Otherwise, continue below.
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————⇐ 📖
The end of the line
The world grows dark. There is the shiver of a shadow, the flash of green fire. Then… nothing.
To wrap up the game, observe any final mechanics and rules.
Then decide the final Reader:
If at least one traveller survived, the first survivor to the current Reader’s left becomes the new Reader.
If all travellers perished, the Reader cycles one space left as usual ⇐ 📖
The new Reader flips and scans the final card in the Path (the Epilogue).